Category Archives: Java

In the mid-nineties, when the web was young, Sun introduced a technology that brought some of the power of desktop applications into the browser. We all remember waiting for Java applets to load so that we could play a game or join a chat. We also all remember the horrendous security record of that technology — a legacy we’re still dealing with today.

Java applets and the plugins that enable them weren’t a great solution two decades ago when they were introduced, and on the modern web they’re largely irrelevant except in niche enterprise applications. Flash — which doesn’t have a much better security record — and JavaScript have replaced Java applets. But, because Oracle, which purchased Sun, insisted on bundling the Java browser plugin with the Java runtime, many less technical users still have the plugin installed and still fall prey to its security vulnerabilities.

Although it’s both powerful and robust, Java’s nevertheless got a (probably well-deserved) reputation as a bit of a time-sink. Coding something in Java can be time-consuming, and many a Java developer can recall stints of sleeplessness slaving over a keyboard to code their apps. Then again, that’s not really limited solely to Java, is it?

Developers dedicate a lot of time to optimizing their workflows and seeking our shortcuts that improve productivity. In this article, I’d like to save devs some time and share my favorite Java productivity enhancers.

Let’s talk about Java. More specifically, let’s talk about the fact that – although it’s still one of the most widely-used programming languages on the web – it’s somehow immensely unpopular. For one reason or another, there’s a very large camp of people – developers and businesspeople alike – who vehemently despise Java. In short, it’s got a very serious image problem.